
Marine Col. Park Jung-hun, a former Marine Corps chief investigator, speaks to reporters on the Excessive Army Courtroom within the protection ministry compound in Seoul, Jan. 9. Yonhap
Army prosecutors have determined to file an enchantment in opposition to a court docket martial ruling that acquitted a former high Marine investigator, who led a probe right into a younger conscript’s dying, of insubordination prices, officers mentioned Monday.
The choice got here simply 4 days after Col. Park Jung-hun was acquitted of insubordination and defamation by a court docket martial in central Seoul.
„The protection ministry’s prosecutors‘ workplace respects the court docket martial’s ruling. However primarily based on a evaluation of the sentencing, we have now determined to enchantment as there have been components that would not be accepted by way of verification of info and authorized precept,“ the prosecutors mentioned in an announcement.
Army prosecutors earlier sought a three-year jail time period for Park, claiming his denial of all prices „negatively“ impacts the command system and self-discipline of the army.
Park was accused of the costs following an inside probe he led into the dying of the corporal who was swept away and killed by a torrent throughout a seek for lacking flood victims within the southeastern county of Yecheon in July 2023.
Three months later, he was indicted for allegedly handing over inside probe outcomes to the civilian police in defiance of orders from then Protection Minister Lee Jong-sup and the Marine Corps‘ chief to attend for extra authorized deliberations.
The previous Marine investigator has claimed he was knowledgeable that the case retrieval was determined after President Yoon Suk Yeol reportedly grew indignant over the inquiry consequence accusing army commanders.
Lee had initially authorised the probe’s findings, however reversed his choice a day later, elevating questions over the transfer.
Park has additionally instructed the media that he had felt „pressured“ to take away the commander of the first Marine Division from the record of individuals he discovered liable for the dying, claiming that Lee even protested, questioning whether or not a division commander ought to be topic to prison punishment. The first Marine Division is the unit to which the lifeless conscript had belonged.
Prosecutors have rejected the comment as false, accusing Park of defaming the minister.
However the court docket martial acquitted Park of insubordination prices, concluding that he didn’t obtain an express order from the Marine Corps chief on deferring the switch of inside probe outcomes to the police.
It additionally dominated in favor of Park on defamation prices, saying it’s inadequate to guage that Park had the intention to defame his superior, primarily based solely on his remarks to the media.
The appeals trial will happen on the Seoul Excessive Courtroom, a civilian court docket, underneath a revised court docket martial legislation. (Yonhap)